National Tree Day

Sunday the 2nd of August will be national Tree Day. Last year over 312000 people helped plant out trees, surely to be beat this year. National Tree Day is Australia’s biggest community tree-planting event and it is held at sites throughout the country. National Tree Day aims to inspire, educate and recruit Australians to actively care for our unique land and create future generations of commited environmental custodians. To find a planting site near you, visit the National Tree Day website.

Cycas revoluta (Sago Palm) Twin

Here’s what we found today – a Sago Palm Twin! Two plants shot out of the one seed…

Weed Alert - Miconia calvescens

Have you seen Miconia on or around your property?

Miconia is one of the world's most invasive plants, with the potential to take over Australia's tropical and sub-tropical rainforests. The plant has been banned for sale since 1997, but still exists along the east coast of Australia. Locating and destroying these plants is vital to the protection of our tropical plants and animals!

Miconia is a small tree that grows up to 15m high. Leaves are large, up to 70cm long, with a vibrant purple underside. Three prominent veins run along the length of each leaf. Flowers are white to pink, 4-5mm wide and arranged in panicles. Individual flowers are 4-5mm wide. Fruits are 6mm in diameter and turn purple/black when ripe.

Fruit eating birds feed on the plant's berries, spreading them into surrounding forests and gardens. If you thing you have seen miconia call the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800084881, or report a weed online at www.weeds.org.au

The Queensland Home Garden Expo has started!

Qld Home Garden Expo - Celebrating 25 years of gardening magic.
This expo has just started today at the Nambour Showgrounds. It will run tomorrow and Sunday as well. 25000 visitors are expected to attend and see the gardening displays, the gardens, and the latests in containers, tools, fertilisers etc.
Plants are also being offered for sale, aproximately 40000 plants will be for sale every day! If you are visiting, you will be treated to a display of more than 360 exhibitors, including nurseries, garden centres, manufacturers of garden tools, fertilisers, accessories, and many more. Gates open at 8am every morning, and close at 5pm on saturday and sunday, 4pm on sunday. Adult entry costs is $14, or 3 days for $30. For more information visit the Queensland Home and Garden Expo 2009 website.

Online & Mail Order Nursery - Behind the Scenes

Have you ever thought about owning your own online mail order nursery? Funny really, I never did, until I was already up to my neck into it.... Like many other plant people out there, I started out on eBay, selling some left over plants from my cacti & succulent collection. As I sold more and more, I started to: 1. wear myself out due to the fact that I was trying to work both a full time job, and a full time nursery, and 2. run out of cacti & succulents! My name is El, I'm the owner of Cactus Island Nursery, together with my husband Dan. Our nursery is fairly small (a two-person operation), and we focus on growing plants that no one else grows. (here's where the problem starts!) People ask me what it's like to run an online nursery, and well, I would describe it as a 'juggle'.... Juggling time around computers, plants, family, admin.... It's a juggle in the best form of juggle though, I absolutely love what I do. Hopefully this will give you some insight into my world, the world of running an online and mail order nursery.

Wednesday 15.07.09

Dan & I investigated new payment integration option for our online nursery website (http://www.cactusisland.com.au/), and unfortunately this took all day. We found ourselves in limbo between unhelpful banks (I can't help naming ANZ & Commonwealth Bank), uninteresting websites & unreasonably high fees and charges! Ten cups of coffees later, we decided PayPal will remain our payment gateway provider on the website. Even though it takes customers from our site to PayPal's site to checkout which can be confusing, this does allow us to accept all major payment options including PayPal, bank deposit, and credit cards. At the moment, there are still a couple of glitches in the online nursery website, but we hope to have these fixed soon.

Saturday 11.07.09

Our website is brand new, and all our products need to be uploaded into the new inventory. I tackled the Hibiscus this morning, even though they aren't quite ready yet. We have a lot of stuff growing at the moment, which isn't quite ready yet, but will be by the time spring starts. We sold off some tractor implements, and the phone rang all day with prospect buyers. We had great hopes of using these implements around our block, but the ground is rock hard, literally. We have instead decided to go for the heavy artillery, with the purchase of a 1940's Case Loader. She's huge, old, and not going - Dan has rebuilt the motor and we hope to have her going soon. I also printed all the invoices, ready for packing tomorrow. We usually package the plants on Saturday, and box them on Sunday, but in winter thing's tend to be quiet - we can do it in 1 day. Our new website also incorporates our new logo, which I included in a brand new invoice lay out.

Friday, 10.07.09
For simplicity's sake, and structure in my working days, I will now strictly do 'outside' in the mornings and 'inside' after lunch. Outside time is my favourite time. There's always something to do, something to see. Today, I found this magnificient little frog under an old polystyrene box. I checked the Frogs of Australia website (http://frogs.org.au/), and believe this to be 'Litoria nasuta' or Rocket Frog, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I'm planning on sharing more of our nursery companions with you here shortly. Being an online nursery definitely has its advantages. Not having nursery visitors keeps the nursery, and the area around it, very quiet and peaceful, and we are seeing the most wonderful animals around us. Yesterday I was observed by a Kookaburra all morning whilst potting up my Madagascar Jasmine (Stephanotis floribunda). He must have been checking up on me! I start every morning with a healthy dose of emails, the most interesting one this morning being from Gaye, who runs the Queensland Gardening Pages (http://www.calyx.com.au/). We have been discussing the possibility of growing edible palms in backyards around Australia. Visit the edible palms page. I also re-potted our Cycas media. These cycads have been sitting in the same pot for the last 3 years, and I'm afraid to see they have been badly neglected. Before re-potting they took up around 6m2 in space.... now there's only 50 plants left, taking up less than 1m2! I took cuttings of our Mandevilla Red Riding Hood, using a new method with Esi-Root this time. Esi-Root worked well with Mandevilla Pink Petite, and I have high hopes for Red Riding Hood.

Growing Hibiscus - How to Grow Hibiscus Plants

Hibiscus flowers - stunning blooms


Tropical Hibiscus trees have beautiful, huge flowers. Many hybrids of Hibiscus (rosa-sinensis) have been developed, making blooms available in almost any colour imaginable. Hibiscus are tropical plants and grow well in frost free areas of Australia.
Growing Hibiscus & Hibiscus Care
Hibiscus are sun lovers, they need to be grown in full sun. They are very drought hardy once established, but may require some additional watering during dry weather periods. Hibiscus plants detest having wet feet, and you will need to ensure the soil is well draining. If you soil does not drain freely, add some sand to your soil, or add some perlite or vermiculite. This may not be as easy if you want to grow your Hibiscus plant in the ground. A solution would be to plant the Hibiscus on a mound to enable easy water draining. Mulching is important for most plants in Australia, to keep moisture in the soil, and keep plant roots cool in hot weather. Be careful however to keep mulch away from the stem to avoid rot. Check the soil and adjust if necessary to be of neutral Ph.
Pruning Hibiscus - How to Prune your Plant
All Hibiscus can be pruned to shape. Pruning Hibiscus plants is a good idea, to encourage blooms and grow stronger, better flowering plants. Usually, pruning is done just before the new season's growth, here in Australia usually in August or September. Prune your Hibiscus plant back about 1/3 all over. Prune again lightly in February. Remember to prune after some new growth (on the branch), or a healthy node, so you don't get 'dead' branches, or branch ends. Make sure you don't prune while there is still a possibility of frost!
Hibiscus fertiliser - Fertilising your Hibiscus
Hibiscus are tropical plants and grow well in the tropics and subtropics of Australia. Fertilise your Hibiscus with 'Hibiscus Food', the fertiliser made by Brunnings, which is recommended by the Hibiscus Society of Queensland. Fertilise around 1 month before you prune your plants, so they are fully ready to take off in spring! Fertilising your Hibiscus will encourage healthy vibrant blooms, and it will also keep them well fed. Like many other tropical plants, Hibiscus are gross feeders, and they require a complete, balanced plant food to enhance blooms, intensify the colour of Hibiscus and promote overall healthy growth. If you would rather use a different hibiscus fertiliser, look for one with an analysis close to: N 15% P 2.2% K 16.6%. Other elements crucial to healthy hibiscus growth:+ Sulphur, Magnesium, Boron, Iron, Zinc & Molybdenum
Hibiscus Pests & Diseases
There are a few pests and diseases to look out for on Hibiscus. Pests and diseases vary from area to area, and I have supplied the most commonly seen pests and diseases below, the ones that most of will have seen on their Hibiscus plants one time or another. Not all insects are bad however! Think before you kill - sometimes killing all insects will be worse than just leaving the pests. Nature is balanced, and most of the time good will outnumber bad. If you do need to lend nature a hand, try and use organic and nature-friendly methods as much as possible.
Good Bugs

- Spiders
- Lady Bugs
- Praying Mantis
- Assassin Bug
- Wasps
Bad Bugs

- Mealy Bugs (Wooly white little insects. Pest Oil works well for these, or use soapy water)
- Scales (come in different colours, round insects with a hard 'shell'. These can be easily wiped off & squashed. If you're on to it, you should be able to get rid of them that way, but if not, pest oil is very effective.)
- Green Vegetable Bug (I see these bugs a lot around the place. They are around 3cm long and bright green with a shell. They love leafy stuff and can't stay away from things like Golden Cane Palms. Although I have not had these on my Hibiscus plants as of yet, I can imagine Hibiscus would be something they would go for. Best thing once again is to squash every single one you come across. If you can't keep up, or the pest has gotten out of control, you may need to look at a bug spray)
- Harlequin Bug (Same as the Green Vegetable Bug, but red)
- Grasshoppers (These bugs eat a LOT for their size! Squash them as quick as you can)
- Any Catepillar (Eats as much as the grasshopper and can do serious damage)
- Black Hibiscus Beetle
- Aphids
- Pollen Scarab
- White Fly
- Cotton Stainer Bug
- Spider Mites (this is the most common problem on indoor Hibiscus plants. Leaves will show light spots, and spider webs are formed around the leaf bases and around the stem. You can blast them off with water, but often you will need something a bit more severe. I have found Neem Oil effective, but only for a short amount of time. Spider mites need quick action from your part, plants go downhill very quickly under a big spider mite infection.
- Rutherglen Bug
Hibiscus uses - How to make use of the flowers & plants

(Wikipedia used as reference)

• Hibiscus is a primary ingredient in many herbal teas
• Hibiscus cannabinus is used in making paper.
• Hibiscus sabdariffa (Roselle) is used as a vegetable, herbal tea and jam.
• Roselle (H. sabdariffa) petals are used to make tea called 'Karkade'
• Hibiscus is used as an offering to Goddess Kali (Goddess of Time and Change) and Lord Ganesha (Lord of Obstacles in Hindu)
• Medical uses in Chinese herbology
• Medical uses in Ayurveda medicine
• Hibiscus flowers can be used as shoe polish
• Fibers are used for grass skirts
• Hair care: growth stimulant, anti-daindruff, conditioner
• Dried Hibiscus is a delicacy in Mexico
• Flowers can be worn behind the ear by women for beauty
• Hibiscus is the national symbol of South Korea and Malaysia

Hibiscus propagation - How to propagate your plants

Hibiscus is usually propagated from seed, or from cuttings. If you have a wonderful hybrid, with the most amazing blooms that you wish to propagate, you will need to take cuttings. Seeds are never guaranteed to turn into the same colour flower as the mother plant, as it can have charactaristics of past generations.

Golden Cane Palm (Dypsis lutescens) - Golden Green

The Golden Cane Palm is one of the most popular and attractive of all palms. It is very easy to grow, and especially attractive due to its bamboo look. Golden Canes are clustering palms, with up to a dozen ringed, bamboo-like golden coloured trunks.
Golden Canes are very adaptable plants, and they are best grown in full sun, in a well draining but moist position.
Golden Cane Palms are drought tolerant, but not frost tolerant. Foliage is evergreen, of fine texture and yellow-green in colour. The root system is non-invasive and can provide some good shade around the pool or home.
These Palms are excellent for screening, they are fast growing, and are very bushy, creating a screen quickly and efficiently. Golden Canes can be pruned to shape & size to form a tidy, dense hedge.
Golden Cane Palms are suitable for container growing, as an indoor palm or out on the patio. Just make sure you use well draining potting mix, fertilise regurly, and prepare to buy a large tub as it gets bigger.
It will reach a height of around 4 meters in the ground. If you are planting these palms in the ground, prepare a spot with fairly rich soil, and water moderately during dry periods. Very easy to grow and great for landscaping!
To purchase mail order Golden Cane Palm plants, please consider visiting Cactus Island Online Nursery

Dwarf Coconut Palms - Backyard Dwarves

Solomon varieties of dwarf coconuts open up possibilities for the backyarder

A recent global survey found 780 described coconut varieties. Many have been developed specifically for certain commercially important traits. Tall varieties represent the majority in commercial production due to a higher copra yield and longer productive lifespan, but the merits of the dwarf varieties are well worth considering, especially for the backyard or small scale production.
There were eight dwarf varieties selected from the Solomon Islands and imported by the Townsville council in the early 1980’s. The original plan was to replace some of the tall palms along The Strand with these impressive compact varieties for foreshore stability and tourism appeal. I won’t elaborate on the perceived danger issue but it is said “coconuts have eyes of their own and have long served mankind”.
The original Solomon collection has been well maintained and one of the originals, the Malay Golden Dwarf found its way to the far north, with thanks to the old Kamerunga research station in Cairns. There are also a number of the shorter palms, known as village dwarfs, growing around the Cape York Peninsula. They are very compact palms – small enough to grow in containers and bear numerous, small, golden orange fruits, with thin husks and great flavour. Others are the Red Spicata Dwarf, which has a stalk-less fruit attached directly to the main stem of the bunch, a Malay Yellow dwarf which is also very thin husked with medium sized light flavoured fruits, and a Giant Green dwarf, which has a full size crown but extremely compact trunk.
In general, dwarf coconuts are self pollinating, precocious, high yielding, easy to harvest, and tolerant of diseases such as ‘Lethal Yellowing’ and poor soils. Many will fruit within four years in a moist tropical climate and reach full output by 6 years, often with coconuts touching the ground. The productive life is considerably less for the dwarf palm varieties which have life spans of approximately 40-60 years, as opposed to 80-120 years for talls. Dwarfs reach heights from 5m to 12m, depending on variety, although at a much slower pace than talls, as generally all the palm proportions are smaller.
Plantation production of dwarf coconuts has been most successful in Brazil where the market is for drinking coconuts rather than oil production. It is estimated three billion coconuts are consumed by Brazilians annually and there is a growing demand for tetra-pak coco juice export products from USA and European markets. They are the wealthiest coconut farmers in the world and their product is easily harvested at only 8 months maturity, for peak sugar and electrolyte concentration, and at 12-14 months being fully mature and oil ready.
A coconut palm produces a new inflorescence every month, beginning the long ‘pregnancy’ for each fruit. Some dwarf coconuts can bear up to 250 fruits per year, though 160 is common with good conditions. When a coconut palm self pollinates; a recessive gene is able to produce very high sugar content. This is why dwarf coconuts tend to be sweeter. Regardless of the conditions of pollination, in all coconuts, sugar levels peak around day 220. This is considered the ideal time to harvest a bunch of coconuts for drinking. Once picked, a fresh semi-mature coconut will remain sterile inside and continue to deposit flesh for up to 8 weeks, if not bruised or allowed to dry out.
Another major product from the dwarf coconut is toddy, or coconut sugar, extracted directly from the unopened inflorescence. Coco sugar has an extremely low glycemic index, with a GI of 35. The end of the inflorescence is cut with a very sharp blade, morning and evening, removing a minimum of crystallized sap, which encourages and maintains the sap flow. Usually a litre per day can be collected and boiled down for sugar, or drunk directly as toddy or later, arak. Fresh, it is considered an elixir in many island villages, and this has been attributed to very high vitamin C content (263% of daily requirement). This is considered especially valuable among elderly villagers, hence the practice of breeding very compact dwarf varieties and planting them at the base of composting pits to ensure easy reach and strong output in ones latter years.
The wisdom of planting dwarf coconuts below ground level is manyfold. There is a tendency for a short palm to become top heavy and not withstand strong winds as well as a more flexible tall palm. Lowering the root ball in a pit which can collect water and hold plenty of mulch gives the best results as well as nice low coconuts for more years to come and not to forget, tsunami proofing.
If you would like to help spread this collection for our future, or perhaps it’s time to replace some of your tall coconuts with shorties, please be in touch.
Dwarf Coconut Sales – Cactus Island Nursery
Written by Paul Richardson - COCOTAP® (The nifty little tool to open & drink your coconuts easily)
Article originally published in the Australian Rare Fruit Review 2008

Cordyline Propagation - How to Propagate Your Cordylines

Ever wondered about propagating your Cordylines? Unsure how to go about it?

Well, here's how I propagate mine, step by step.

1. 1. Select your Cordyline. I've chosen to propagate my Cordyline Pink Tip. I have choses this specific plant, as it is a branching plant. A branching Cordyline is a plant with multiple branches, or stems. Selecting a branching plant will make it easier to strike your cuttings, at least until you're fully confident & succesful. Eventually, you can take cutting by chopping the whole plant in half, it's as easy as that... but for starters, choose a branch so you can't go wrong.

See the little black arrow in the picture? That's the cutting I'm going to take. I'm going to leave the biggest part of the plant alone, so that, if anything goes wrong with my cutting, I still have my beautiful mother plant.

1. 2. Sterilise your cutting tool. Whether it be scissors, secateurs or a knife, cleanliness is the key. We don't want diseases, rot or any other nasties getting into the freshly cut end of your cutting, OR your mother plant! Always take all precaution to look after your mother plant. You'll always have cuttings to give a go that way!

3. Prepare to cut! Take your cutting as close to the main stem as possible, without touching the main stem. A sharp, clean cut is what we're aiming for here!

4. Clean your cutting. Remove the bulk of the foliage, but leave 1 or 2 nice, healthy leaves. The amount of leaves you leave depends on the size of the cutting. You always want to select a cutting with at least a little bit of 'hardwood' on the bottom. The hardwood is the brown barky part of the cutting, at the end where I cut it. The longer the barky part, the easier it will be to root.

5. To wound or not to wound. Some people like 'wounding' the cutting, as I've shown in the picture here. All it involves is to remove a slice of the bark, at the base of the cutting. This can increase the amount of surface the cutting can grow roots from. Roots are only grown from a very small part of the stem, which is the outer ring just under the bark. Cutting the cutting on an angle is also beneficial, for the same reasons. I tend to use the 'angle' method more so than the 'slicing' method. It takes less time, and is easier to do!

6. Enlist help! To make it easier for yourself, always use a rooting hormone. It's not always necessary, but it increases your succes rate AND fights diseases, rot etc. I only use 1 rooting hormone, and it's called Esi-Root. It is not what most people imagine a rooting hormone would look like. Most hormones are either powder or gel, but this is a liquid, in concentrated form. We buy it in bulk as I tend to go through a bit, but you can get is in small amounts. Succes rate, I find, is very high with this hormone, on almost ANY cutting I take. Any rooting aid will help however, so if you prefer the powder, don't let me stop you. Read the instructions on your rooting hormone, it will tell you exactly how to use it. All I do, is leave the cutting in the Esi-Root liquid for at least 15 seconds, before planting out.

7. Planting time! Plant your cutting into a small pot, in well draining soil. I use 50mm tube pots for anything that will fit into it, even Frangipani cuttings. Small pots dry out nice and quick, avoiding rot. Rot is one of the main causes of rooting failure. For the same reason, ensure you are using potting mix which drains freely. Add vermiculite, perlite or sand to your mix if it is not well draining. If you aren't sure, buy some cacti & succulent mix from a nursery, garden centre or hardware. Plant the cutting halfway into the pot. You don't want it moving or wobbling, so fill the pot up with soil, and compress it firmly. Now water it in well to get rid of air bubbles & leave it to be.

8. The mission continues... After a few weeks (anywhere between 2 and 4, sometimes longer) your cutting will start forming roots, which will eventually show through the bottom of the pot. When this happens, it's time to repot. Repot into 4" pots (don't go much bigger than that, you want to increase the size of the pot slowly to establish good root systems, and avoid problems due to waterlogged soil), but take care to CUT the tube pot away from the roots. Don't just pull them out, as they may still be a little bit fragile.

Well, there you have it. Time to go do some cuttings now! Good luck....

Gifts of Nature - Coconut Juice or Water

Coconut water contains an abundance of natural goodness including growth factors like cytokinins, which are nature's anti-ageing compounds. It has been traditionally consumed around the tropical world for rehydration, refreshment, as a sterile water source, to soothe infants, dissolve kidney stones, kill intestinal worms, facilitate removal of toxins from the blood, boost libido, for healthy skin and hair as well as a laboratory growing medium and an emergency blood plasma substitute. Now, also recognized as high in antioxidants and useful in cholesterol control.
The Coconut has been called "the milk bottle on the doorstep of mankind" ...facilitating the spread of our civilizations from day one!

A handy little tool is now available to help you open & drink your coconuts, called COCOTAP®, made by Paul Richardson. COCOTAP® makes the most naturally refreshing drink ever, totally accessible. It eliminates the mess of opening coconuts with machetes, is simple, safe and now easier to utilize nature's perfect packaging.

For more information visit COCOTAP®'s website

Cardboard Palm (Zamia furfuracea) Cycad

My favourite cycad! This one is called 'Cardboard Palm', but it's not an actual palm, it doesn't even really look like one. The Cardboard Palm is part of the Cycad family, and it is native to Mexico.

This is my favourite cycad as it has a very tidy growth habit, it doesn't grow much taller than 1m, and only spreads a little, to just under 2m. It is extremely tough, being able to handle drought, heat, frost & salt! This is one of those plants that goes well anywhere, whether it's in sand or clay, cold or hot, as long as it is in a full sun position. It will grow well in coastal areas as well as inland gardens. They do not need any additional watering once they are established in your garden, natural rainfall will do just fine. This cycad stores water in it's trunk, which means it has its own water reserve. Propagation of the Cardboard Palm is usually from seed, although I believe you could seperate the offsets once it starts clumping. I have not tried this as of yet, so I cannot guarantee this would work. Cardboard Palms need a male and a female plant to produce viable seed, and the difference shows in the cones. I have included a picture of female Cardboard Palm cones on the right hand side. Once the female cone is ripe, it will break and reveal a heap of bright red seeds. The Cardboard Palm produces very interesting cones from a very young age.

I highly recommend the Cardboard Palm (Zamia furfuracea) as an addition to your garden. They will outperform your expectations and survive whatever you throw at them! To purchase these plants, visit Cactus Island Nursery
Written by El - Cactus Island Nursery